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European trade show Creativeworld is going on in Frankfurt, Germany from now through Tuesday and I’m there to show you some of the highlights!

One of my favorite things about traveling to Germany is the food! A “Berliner” isn’t a person who lives in Berlin – it’s a breakfast must-have, a sugared pastry with a tiny puff of jelly in the center.

The electronic diecutting segment of the scrapbooking industry has been growing rapidly in recent years. The CHA Mega Show 2015 was a chance to see the latest from many of the segment’s manufacturers.

Sizzix

A new version of the Sizzix Eclips 2 will hit stores this May, featuring Bluetooth technology. Electronic diecutting enthusiasts will be able to beam image files from tablets, smartphones, and other enabled devices right to the machine. The recently updated, cartridge-free Eclips 2 has an MSRP of $299, and the new Bluetooth version will retail for $349.

The concept of paper planners is a big trend right now in the world in general. Filofax has suddenly become a hot brand (a scrapbook store near me recently started promoting they are carrying Filofax). Many scrapbook brands have jumped into the market for planners as well, providing planners in their company’s familiar signature design style that customers already love.

The current trend to paper planners has been driven in large part by people who wish to create customized planners. In that area the scrapbook companies have an advantage over office supply companies who have traditionally made planners, as they have a lot of familiarity and experience with designing products like stamps, stickers, washi tape and other decorative items currently desired by planner users.

Most of the scrapbook industry planners are set up on a monthly/weekly format. A few, such as the Simple Stories collection, have additional daily organization pages. However, the downside of daily pages is bulk – it makes the entire year so huge that it can’t all be carried around at once and pages have to be cycled in and out of the planner.

Perhaps the most excitement of all the new planners has centered around the Life Documented collection by Simple Stories. Created in their signature bright colors, in a 6″x 8″ size, the planner is a modular system. Each element can be purchased separately, allowing users to build their own custom planner containing only the elements they wish to use.

One popular feature of Life Documented not seen in a lot of other planners is the meal planning section.

Let’s take a look at some products from the CHA Mega Show 2015 that will be of special interest to pocket scrapbookers!

Simple Stories is always a go-to place for great pocket products, but this new release has something extra exciting – a sequel to their bestselling Say Cheese collection! The collection includes a pack of pocket cards, and of course great embellishments too.

The new collection by Megan Hoeppner for Webster’s Pages is aimed at scrapbookers who record their memories on a monthly basis in pocket albums (as opposed to those who do weekly albums). The collection includes 12 sheets, one for each month of the year, that form the basis of an album. Continue Reading →

So what, exactly, are the Hot Picks? The Hot Picks are the Scrapbook Update equivalent of a buzz report from the show. On this list, you’ll find the scrapbooking products that were most talked about among show attendees on and off the show floor in Anaheim. (My personal picks from the show will be featured in a separate article.)

Let’s get started! What were the Mega Show attendees buzzing about in Anaheim, and more importantly – why?

Ranger’s Tim Holtz Distress Color of the Month Program

Ranger is releasing 12 new Tim Holtz Distress colors this year…but nobody knows what they are! The company is introducing a new program that will release one new color to the Distress line every month – but won’t announce the color until each month. Consensus on the show floor is that Ranger’s “kit club” approach to their release is brilliant. Instead of cherry picking their favorites from a huge new release twice a year and then ignoring the rest, consumers will be prompted to make a purchase each month, and speculation about what the color will be – and the announcement of it – will build marketing buzz. Retailers will be provided a sign to add a sticker of the new color to each month (pictured above), and the new releases come in a countertop display perfect for checkout sales. The first color release was Cracked Pistachio, signaling that perhaps the Distress palette will be getting a bit brighter in 2015. Continue Reading →

The lights are turned out and the booths all disassembled. Suitcases have been packed and flights boarded for home….the CHA Mega Show 2015 has passed into history.

Apparently, Anaheim didn’t get the memo that California is a desert. It was grey and drizzling rain for the majority of the days of the show, welcome weather for local residents but not for show attendees.